"On Thursday last week, the day the Supreme Court voted to uphold most of the Obama healthcare law, a group of artists and writers packed into the side room at Paula Cooper Gallery’s main space in Chelsea for a Barack Obama benefit, and listened to Manhattan’s borough president, Scott Stringer, give a speech.

"... Kate Linker, who helped organize the event, stood at a podium and listed some of the president’s first-term accomplishments: 'The end of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell!’' A cheer. 'The recognition of the right of people to love whomever they choose to love!” Really big cheer. 'Making college affordable for students!' Some scattered claps. Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown law student who spoke before the House of Representatives about contraceptive mandates (and was subsequently called a “slut” and a 'prostitute' by Rush Limbaugh), talked next and said to everyone, “We have so much more work to do.' That also elicited some clapping.

"Jonathan Franzen, who was seated next to Jonathan Safran Foer and right behind Paul Auster, went to the podium to read his story 'Inauguration Day, January 2001.'

“'If you’d been there, you might have been stirred by the ceaseless chanting of racist, sexist, anti-gay/GEORGE BUSH, go away!'

"As Franzen was reading, a photographer was racing around the room snapping pictures. He wore a black shirt with big white letters that said, 'WHY CHANGE HORSEMEN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN APOCALYPSE?'"